Kalanchoe plant named &#39;Forever Midi Pink Morning&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Kalanchoe plant named ‘Forever Midi Pink Morning’, characterized by mounded to semi-upright, dense and uniform plant habit; freely branching growth habit; numerous light yellow, white, and pink colored flowers; and excellent post-production longevity.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Plant PatentApplication No. 60/603,845 filed Aug. 23, 2004, which is herebyincorporated by reference in its entirety.

BOTANICAL CLASSIFICATION

Kalanchoe blossfeldiana

VARIETAL DENOMINATION

‘Forever Midi Pink Morning’

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of Kalanchoeblossfeldiana, known by the varietal name ‘Forever Midi Pink Morning’.The new variety is a product of a planned breeding program conducted inLompoc, Calif. The purpose of the breeding program was to create newcultivars with unique flower colors, fuller flower clusters over the topof the plants, compact growth habits, and free-branching habits. The newvariety was selected from a seedling population, which originated from across-pollination of a proprietary selection of Kalanchoe blossfeldianaidentified as code number 95-464-2, not patented, as the female seedparent with a proprietary selection of Kalanchoe blossfeldianaidentified as code number 95-295-3, not patented, as the male pollenparent. Comparisons between the new variety and its parents cannot bemade, as the parental varieties no longer exist. The cultivar ‘ForeverMidi Pink Morning’ was discovered and selected in a controlledenvironment in Lompoc, Calif. Asexual reproduction of the new variety byterminal vegetative cuttings taken in Lompoc, Calif., has shown that theunique features of this new variety are stable and reproduced true totype in successive propagations.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Forever Midi Pink Morning’.Characteristics that distinguish ‘Forever Midi Pink Morning’ as a newand distinct cultivar from others known to the breeder include:

1) Compact mounded habit;

2) Good lateral and basal branching;

3) No heat delay with night temperatures of 22° C.;

4) Distinct flower color opening as a light yellow, fading to nearwhite, and finally fading to pink. The plant may have flowers of allthree colors at one time;

5) Dense flower cluster over the top of the plant;

6) Excellent postproduction longevity; and

7) Early to flower, flowering 8.5 to 9.5 weeks after start of short daytreatment under summer conditions.

Plants of the new variety can be compared to plants of the Kalanchoecultivar ‘Forever Midi Sunset Pink’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No.12,413. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Lompoc, Calif., plantsof the new variety differed from plants of the cultivar ‘Forever MidiSunset Pink’ in the following characteristics:

1) Flower color of the new variety was 7D to 27D to 56C, whereas theflower color of ‘Forever Midi Sunset Pink’ was 15A to 19B and 38C to39C;

2) The new variety was shorter than ‘Forever Midi Sunset Pink’;

3) Time to flower in the summer from the start of short day treatmentfor the new variety was 8.5 to 9.5 weeks, whereas the time to flower for‘Forever Midi Sunset Pink’ was 9 to 10 weeks; and

4) Leaf color of the new variety was 147A, whereas the leaf color of‘Forever Midi Sunset Pink’ was 146B with a cast to the leaf edges of181B.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying colored photographic drawing illustrates the overallappearance of the new variety with the colors being as nearly true as ispossible to obtain in colored illustrations of this type.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANT

The cultivar ‘Forever Midi Pink Morning’ has not been observed under allpossible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, day length and lightintensity. However, there is no variance in genotype.

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. Plants were grownduring the late winter through early spring of 2003 in Lompoc, Calif.,in a corrugated polycarbonate-covered greenhouse with 30% shadecovering. During the production of the plants, day temperatures rangedfrom 20 to 22° C.; night temperatures ranged from 16 to 18° C. and lightlevels averaged 4000 foot candles of light. Rooted cuttings were plantedin 10 cm containers and received long day/short night conditions (morethan 14 hours of light) for about three weeks; plants then receivednatural short day/long night conditions (minimum 14 hours darkness)until flowering. Plants were about 11 weeks from the start of the shortday/long night treatment when the photograph and the description weretaken.

Propagation

-   Type cutting: Terminal vegetative cuttings.-   Time to initiate roots:    -   -   Summer.—About 10 days at 21° C.        -   Winter.—About 12 days at 21° C.-   Time to produce a rooted cutting:    -   -   Summer.—About 21 days at 21° C.        -   Winter.—About 21 days at 21° C.-   Root description: Fine fibrous, freely branching, moderately dense,    and grayed white in color.

Plant Description

-   Form: Mounded to semi-upright, and dense plant habit. Freely    flowering with numerous compound cymes. Inverted triangle; mounded    crown. Appropriate for 10 cm containers; vigorous growth habit.-   Plant height at flowering: About 15 cm.-   Plant diameter at flowering: About 20 to 22 cm.-   Branching habit: Freely branching habit; typically 8 to 10 lateral    branches develop per plant. Pinching (removal of terminal apex) is    not required but will enhance lateral branch development.-   Lateral branch description:    -   -   Length.—About 9 to 11 cm.        -   Diameter.—About 3 to 4 mm.        -   Internode length.—About 6 to 8 mm.        -   Aspect.—About 35 to 40° from vertical.        -   Strength.—Strong.        -   Texture.—Smooth, glabrous.        -   Color.—146C.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple.        -   Length.—About 9 to 10 cm.        -   Width.—About 6 to 7 cm.        -   Shape.—Ovate.        -   Apex.—Acute to obtuse.        -   Base.—Acute to rounded.        -   Margin.—Crenate, moderate lobes, shallow cut.        -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Coriaceous, glabrous, and            succulent.        -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.        -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: 146A. Developing            leaves, lower surface: 146B. Fully expanded leaves, upper            surface: 147A. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: 147B.            Venation, upper surface: 147A. Venation, lower surface:            147B.        -   Petiole length.—About 8 to 10 mm.        -   Petiole diameter.—About 6 mm.        -   Petiole texture.—Smooth, glabrous.        -   Petiole color, upper surface.—147A.        -   Petiole color, lower surface.—146A.

Flower Descriptiong

-   Flower type and habit: Single flowers arranged in axillary compound    dichasial cymes. Freely flowering; more than 40 flowers per lateral    branch and more than 250 flowers per plant. Flowers not persistent.    Flowers not fragrant. Flowers face mostly upright.-   Natural flowering season: Plants of the new Kalanchoe initiate and    develop flowers under short day/long night conditions or during the    late autumn/winter/early spring. Flower initiation and development    can also be induced under artificial short day/long night conditions    (at least 14 hours of darkness).-   Time to flower: Under short day/long night photoinductive    conditions, about 8.5 to 9.5 weeks are required. Actual time to    flower is primarily dependent upon temperature and light intensity.-   Post-production longevity: Excellent post-production longevity;    plants maintain good foliage and flower substance for at least four    weeks under interior environmental conditions. Individual flowers    last for about 2 weeks.-   Flower diameter: About 1.5 cm.-   Flower height: About 1.2 cm.-   Flower buds:    -   -   Shape.—Oblong.        -   Length.—About 1.4 cm.        -   Width.—About 3 mm.        -   Color.—146C, towards apex, 61B.-   Petals:    -   -   Quantity.—Four fused at base.        -   Length.—About 9 mm.        -   Width.—About 7 mm.        -   Shape.—Ovate to rounded.        -   Apex.—Cuspidate.        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Glabrous, smooth, soft.        -   Color.—When opening, upper surface: 7D. When opening, lower            surface: 8D to 49B. Fully opened, upper surface: 27D, fading            to 56C. Fully opened, lower surface: 27D to 50D, fading to            56D.-   Sepals:    -   -   Quantity.—Four fused at base.        -   Length.—About 7 mm.        -   Width.—About 2 mm.        -   Shape.—Lanceolate.        -   Apex.—Acuminate.        -   Base.—Rounded.        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Glabrous, smooth.        -   Color.—Immature, upper surface: 146D. Immature, lower            surface: 146C. Mature, upper surface: 146C. Mature, lower            surface: 146B.-   Calyx:    -   -   Shape.—Cupped.        -   Length.—About 8 mm.        -   Diameter.—About 3 mm.-   Peduncles:    -   -   Length.—About 2 cm.        -   Diameter.—About 2 mm.        -   Angle.—About 45° from vertical.        -   Strength.—Strong.        -   Texture.—Smooth, glabrous.        -   Color.—146C.-   Pedicels:    -   -   Length.—About 3 mm.        -   Diameter.—About 1 mm.        -   Angle.—About 45°.        -   Pedicel strength.—Strong.        -   Texture.—Smooth, glabrous.        -   Color.—146C.-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Stamens.—Quantity per flower: Eight. Anther shape: Elliptic,            flat. Anther size: Less than 1 mm. Anther color: Yellowish            Green. Pollen amount: Abundant. Pollen color: Yellow.        -   Pistils.—Quantity per flower: Four. Style length: About            2 mm. Style color: Light Yellowish Green. Stigma shape:            Flat. Stigma color: White. Ovary color: 146C.-   Seed:    -   -   Quantity per ovary.—More than 100.        -   Length.—Less than 1 mm.        -   Diameter.—Less than 1 mm.-   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new variety have not been    observed to date to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to    Kalanchoes.-   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new variety have been observed    to tolerate low temperatures of 10° C. and high temperatures of 35°    C.

1. A new and distinct variety of Kalanchoe named ‘Forever Midi PinkMorning’ as herein described and illustrated.